Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 7 of The Tragedy of Macbeth. Macbeth, who is alone in his castle, is contemplating whether to kill Duncan. Macbeth: If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well It were done quickly; if the assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch With his surcease success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We’d jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague the inventor; this even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poison’d chalice To our own lips. How does Shakespeare develop the universal theme "the inescapability of justice” in this excerpt?
Answer
A
by implying that Macbeth intends to convince someone else to murder Duncan
B
by suggesting that Macbeth hopes to kill Duncan without getting caught
C
by highlighting that Macbeth is worried that someone will try to poison him
D
by showing that Macbeth is hesitant to act because he fears the consequences
Explanation
Macbeth considers whether killing Duncan could be finished quickly and leave no consequences, but he recognizes that people face judgment for their actions. He says that violent lessons “return / To plague the inventor” and that justice serves the poison back to those who made it. This develops the idea that justice cannot be escaped and shows Macbeth hesitating because he fears the consequences of murder. The correct choice is D, “by showing that Macbeth is hesitant to act because he fears the consequences.”
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